Reading for Riders

Welcome to the Bitterroot online magazine. From discounts and recent press to ranch videos and recipes and from tales about the first days of the ranch to helpful riding tips you will find all sorts of information in these pages. We hope this is a great resource as you decide were to go on a horse riding vacation or as you reminisce about your past experiences at the ranch. If you would like to share a story, images or a video from your visit we would love to hear from you. Happy trails!

Bayard Fox Describes Local Fishing

The Wind River watershed rises just on the east side of the Continental Divide and is a hidden gem for trout fisherman. There are some excellent opportunities for fly fishing on our own private stream and in neighboring lakes and rivers.  The Dubois area gets much less fishing pressure than places like nearby Jackson Hole…

Early Photos of the Bitterroot

 

Thanks for all of the great name suggestions! It was tough but we decided on…

Foal Surprise

Life is full of surprises. We bought Aspen, a sweet Quarter Horse mare, last summer. In the fall, her belly ballooned, and I was worried she was in foal and about to have a baby. We brought her in, but nothing changed, so we turned her back out. Months passed, she stayed the same, and…

Wildflowers and Trees

There is a wide variety of wildflowers around Bitterroot Ranch which blossom in glorious profusion in late spring and summer. Many of these plants were used by Native Americans for food or herbal remedies. Some of the roots and leaves were an important source of protein and vitamins. Medical science is discovering today that some…

History of the Ranch

The high mountain environment of the Bitterroot is beautiful but it is a harsh one to survive year round, leading one of the early inhabitants to remark that, “the only thing you can grow successfully here are jackrabbits!”

Recipes from the Bitterroot Kitchen

Lemon Muffins 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs, separated 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon soda 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Grated lemon rind Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in egg yolks and beat until light. Mix flour, baking powder and soda. Add to creamed mixture alternately with lemon juice. Beat egg…

Tips to Get in Shape for your Riding Vacation

Visit the website of our sister company, Equitours, for some helpful ideas on how to get in shape for your riding vacation.

Meet some of our Equine Characters

Here is Kisima, a particularly cute home bred Arabian. This horse has been kind, giving, straightforward and honest since the moment we started working with him when he was 4. He has always approached life with an open, willing attitude. If horses could shrug and say, “why not?” that is what Kisima’s response would be…

How Democrat Went Over the Cliff

We were in my wilderness hunting camp 10 miles north of our ranch near Yellowstone Park that October morning. At 9,000 ft. above sea level the temperature dropped to around zero just before dawn and it was crackling cold. We had to be off well before first light. The best time for hunting is that…

Crashing Planes and Herding Buffalo on Horseback

It was the buffalo that almost got me killed. Goodness knows those athletic, prehistoric beasts chased me and my horse enough times over the years with evil intent, but it wasn’t their horns which came closest to finishing me at the end of the day. The trouble came when, as a last resort, I hired…

Wild Horses; the Story of 3 Dot, a Gift from the Wild

How a wild horse was tamed and became part of our herd. That year we opened our dude ranch and began our trail rides in late May. There is a magnificent piece of land called Mountain Meadows where we often take our guests riding directly to the east of us. It borders the 2 million…


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